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Paul Finebaum endorses punishment for Jim Harbaugh, evaluates potential CFP ban for UM

Paul Harvey

By Paul Harvey

Published:

Paul Finebaum is on board with suspending Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh this season. However, he draws the line at any punishment trying to keep the Wolverines out of the postseason and a potential trip to the College Football Playoff.

During Wednesday’s broadcast of ESPN’s “First Take,” Finebaum said he disagreed with Stephen A. Smith’s assessment that Michigan could be kept out of the Playoff. Finebaum believes that would punish players who likely did not have knowledge of the fiasco to begin with.

“I don’t, I think he has part of it right, something needs to happen. But I feel badly about penalizing the players on this team who probably had no idea what was going on,” said Finebaum. “They may have benefitted, but they had no idea. To me, the culprit is the most obvious one, and that’s Jim Harbaugh.”

He went on to express a desire to see Harbaugh “suspended indefinitely” and that especially includes a potential CFP appearance. Finebaum pointed to the ability of B1G commissioner Tony Petitti to suspend Harbaugh this season.

“I think [Jim] Harbaugh should be suspended indefinitely, not allowing him to coach another game, and especially in the playoffs if this investigation continues down the current path. I feel very strongly that the team should not be kept out,” Finebaum explained. “Otherwise, you really getting too far ahead of this process. The B1G has the ability to stop the coach, they can suspend him…and I think they should because it’s pretty obvious they believe he has committed transgressions.”

For anyone pointing to the NCAA to do something, Finebaum reminded fans everywhere of the organization’s ineptitude to do much of anything worth significance when it comes to investigations:

“I think they will (suspend him), and I don’t know what Harbaugh has up his sleeve… But ultimately the B1G commissioner is the only one in charge,” said Finebaum. “And I’m sure people watching will say ‘What about the NCAA?’ Well the NCAA couldn’t put away a group of schools who were involved in an FBI wiretapping case.”

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.